Play with inversions and test your ability to persevere in today’s class as we build toward a peak pose with Pincha Mayurasana (peacock pose or forearm stand). Today’s class creates length in the side waist, shoulders, quadriceps, and hamstrings to open the body for forearm stand. Core work with abdominal work on your back, plank pose, dolphin pose, and handstand hops, create heat and strength to prepare for your peak pose.

Spotify Playlist: Forearm Stand (online)

Style: Vinyasa

Duration: 70-minutes

Level: open-levels

Props: 2 blocks, 1 exercise band (the band is optional)

Focus: shoulder and hamstring opening as you prepare for forearm stand

Location: Lila Familia Production Studio, Vancouver, BC

“I have to remain focused in my Drishti, my gaze, and also in my intention whenever I play with inversions. The offering as we move through this practice today is to connect with and embody perseverance.” – Clara Roberts-Oss.

Opening Sequence

Come to a seat and place your palms on your thighs.

The theme for today’s class is perseverance.

Take fifteen or so breathes to move as you prefer, with options:

• Marjaiasana/Bitilasana (cat/cows)
• Balasana (child’s pose)
• Uttanasana (forward fold)
• Adho Mukha Shvanasana (down dog)
• Anything else that you feel you need

2x Sun Salutations, flowing at your own pace or following the instructions.

Flow Sequence

Urdhva Hastasana (hands to the sky)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (halfway lift)

Ashta Chandrasana (high lunge) variation with Shiva Mudra

• Inhale straighten the front leg, take arms down in front of you
• Exhale bend the front leg, take arms in Shiva Mudra overhead

Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana (3-legged dog)

Eka Pada Phalakasana (1-legged plank pose)

Adho Mukha Shvanasana (down dog)

Half vinyasa, down dog, or child’s pose

Eka Pada Phalakasana (1-legged plank pose)

Virabhadrasana | (warrior 1) variation with hands to elbows to open the side waist

Parsvottanasana (pyramid pose)

Adho Mukha Shvanasana (down dog)

Ardha Pincha Mayurasana (dolphin down dog)

Adho Mukha Vrksasana (handstand) variation hopping forward and back on your mat

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (halfway lift)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Repeat the same sequence on the other side.

Core Sequence

Tadasana (mountain pose)

• Come onto your tiptoes, bring arms out in front of you
• Bend your knees and come halfway down
• Come to the ground and put your bum down

Come onto your back for abdominal work to strengthen the core.

Place the exercise band around your ankles if you want a little more heat to build resistance and take your heels up to the sky: the band is optional.

• Inhale curl tailbone up from the ground
• Exhale curl shoulder blades up from the ground
• Inhale lift everything a little higher
• Exhale twist opposite elbow to knee
• Inhale lift a little higher
• Exhale press the belly button down
• Inhale lift heels and heart higher
• Exhale lower all to the ground

Repeat several cycles.

Peak Pose Sequence

Pincha Mayurasana (peacock pose or forearm stand)

Options: we take the peak pose several times.

• Take dolphin downward dog
• Lift one leg off of the ground at a time
• Take baby hops
• Move to the wall

Backbending Sequence

Salamba Bhujangasana (shinx pose) on the belly

• Move into the quad stretch by taking each heel to your bum, OR
• Take Utthan Pristhasana (lizard pose) if you have knee sensitivity

Dwipada Viparita Dandasana (wheel pose on forearms)

• Take this variation IF you have the mobility in your shoulders, OR
• Take Ūrdhvadhanurāsana (wheel pose), OR
• Take Setu Bandha Sarvāṅgāsana (bridge pose)

Take a few breaths on your back with knees bent and feet on the ground.

Closing Sequence

A hip opener variation

1. Pyramid pose with legs crisscrossed and hands outside the front leg on blocks,
2. Outer right him on a block, legs crisscrossed, hands come forward with forehead to the ground. Option to take the twist and place forehead to a block.

Viparita Karani (legs up the wall, or with a block under your bum.)

Savasana or seated meditation